How to amend personal particulars in a HKSAR passport in 2026
A deed poll changes your name, but on its own it does not change your HKSAR passport. Checked against the Hong Kong Immigration Department's official page Travel Documents: Frequently Asked Questions as of October 2026, the sequence is: update the registered particulars on your Hong Kong permanent identity card first, then apply in person to amend the passport. The published fee for that amendment is HK$110, and the department issues a replacement passport carrying the same validity as the one you hand in.
Do I have to update my permanent identity card first?
Yes. The department states that the personal particulars in the passport should be identical to those shown on the Hong Kong permanent identity card, so an application to amend registered particulars at the Registration of Persons Office comes before the passport application.
That ordering is what trips up applicants who start at the passport counter. Turn up with a deed poll while your card still shows the old name, and the two documents sit out of step with each other.
Where do I submit the application, and what do I bring?
You have to submit it in person, at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or one of the Immigration Branch Offices.
Two things are required at the counter:
- your existing HKSAR passport, produced with the application; and
- the relevant supporting documents, for which the department gives a deed poll as its example.
The department publishes the full document list, fee table and photograph specification separately, on its own travel document pages. Read those before you go rather than assuming the deed poll alone completes the file.
Amendment or a brand-new passport: what is the difference?
The same application window offers you two choices, and they differ sharply in price and in what you walk away with.
| Route | Fee | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Amend particular(s) in existing passport | HK$110 | Replacement passport with corrected particulars, same validity as the one surrendered |
| New passport, 10-year validity | HK$430 (32 pages) / HK$520 (48 pages) | Full-term passport |
| New passport, 5-year validity | HK$215 (32 pages) / HK$260 (48 pages) | Full-term passport |
Availability of a 10-year or 5-year document depends on the applicant's age. A HKSAR passport is normally valid for 10 years from the date of issue, and one issued to a child under 16 is normally valid for 5 years, unless otherwise specified.
The amendment route is cheap precisely because it buys you nothing extra: the replacement inherits whatever validity your current passport has left. Paying HK$110 for three remaining months makes little sense next to HK$430 for ten years, while paying it for nine remaining years is hard to argue with. Check the expiry date before you decide.
How long will the amendment take?
Five working days is the department's general pledge for a passport application once it has all necessary documents, the fee and a photograph; for children under 11 who do not hold a permanent identity card, the pledge is 10 working days.
Amendments sit in a different category. The department warns that processing may be longer for a passport application arising from loss, damage or amendment of personal particulars, and that meeting the pledge also depends on the circumstances of the individual case and how many applications are in the queue. No separate published target exists for this route, so leave slack before any fixed travel date.
What happens to the old passport and its visas?
The passport you surrender is cancelled — the department does this by cutting a corner off its back cover — and returned to you. No appointment is needed to collect the new one; eligible applicants can also use the self-service collection kiosks at Immigration Headquarters and the Hong Kong Island, West Kowloon and Tuen Mun offices.
A visa inside the cancelled document does not migrate by itself. Cross-linking is the mechanism described for keeping it usable: an endorsement is made on both documents noting that the previous passport bears a visa still in force. Three conditions apply, and all must be met:
- your existing passport is still valid on the date the endorsement is printed;
- it contains a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit; and
- it has at least one blank page for the endorsement.
The application uses Form ID 879, costs HK$200, and must be submitted in person or by proxy — postal, drop-in, online, kiosk and mobile app submissions are rejected. It should be filed at the same time as the passport application, so that it does not hold the passport up.
Fees, forms and processing pledges described here are general information drawn from published Immigration Department procedure, not advice on an individual case; the department's current published rules govern, and where your own circumstances are in question, a qualified professional is the right source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the name on my HKSAR passport with a deed poll alone?
No. A deed poll serves as evidence of the change, but the department requires the particulars on your Hong Kong permanent identity card to match first. You update the registered particulars at the Registration of Persons Office, then apply to amend the passport.
Do I have to apply in person?
Yes. The application must be submitted in person at the Travel Documents and Nationality (Application) Section or one of the Immigration Branch Offices handling travel documents. The department's published FAQ describes no online or postal channel for it.
How much does the amendment cost, and what do I get?
The fee is HK$110. Once approved, you receive a new passport showing the amended particulars, and it carries the same validity as the passport you surrendered. It is a correction, not a renewal.
When is a new passport the better choice?
Compare the amendment's HK$110 against HK$430 for a 32-page, 10-year passport, and look at your current expiry date. If the existing passport has years left, the amendment is far cheaper for the same travel document.
What must be true for cross-linking to protect my visa?
Your existing passport must still be valid on the date the endorsement is printed, must contain a valid visa, residence permit or entry permit, and must have at least one blank page. You apply on Form ID 879, pay HK$200, and submit in person or by proxy.
Is there a published processing time for amendments specifically?
No separate figure is published. The general five-working-day pledge applies to passport applications, while applications based on amendment of personal particulars are flagged as potentially taking longer, depending on the case and on application volume.
What happens to the passport I hand over?
It is cancelled by having a corner of the back cover cut off, then returned to you alongside the new document. Collecting the new passport needs no appointment; go to the office named in the collection notice.